Raiders OTA notebook

Some news, notes and observations from the Raiders’ minicamp practice Wednesday:

– JaMarcus Russell is gone, and if Tom Cable has his way, will be forgotten as well.

After a few perfunctory answers about the former No. 1 overall draft pick, with Cable stressing the need to move forward, the coach said, “Let’s not talk about someone who is not on our team anymore. It’s done, it’s over and we have to move forward.”

Jason Campbell, the trade acquisition who is expected to be the Raiders No. 1 quarterback, said he gave Russell words of encouragement.

“We had a lot of conversations,” Campbell said. “I told him there are things that happen in professional sports that are out of our control and the only thing you can do is move forward and not let anything get you down. Like I told him, he’s still young in his career. I think the thing he has to do in the summer is put in the work and then when his opportunity comes again just do your best.”

Put in the work. With Russell, it always comes down to those four words.

– The passing game struggled quite a bit on a day heavy with blitz packages and red zone sessions. With pass rushers coming free and a compacted field, Campbell, Charlie Frye and Kyle Boller all made some poor decisions under pressure.

Considering there is a new offensive coordinator in Hue Jackson, quarterbacks in Campbell and Boller who are getting used to new teammate, there was an acceptable margin of error in the mind of Cable.

“We’re going to try and have as much blitz pressure as we can,” Cable said. “I like what I saw, they’re going to get there a couple of times, but as they get more comfortable with what they’re doing we’ll pick it up and throw it better.”

– Whether the margin of error was acceptable for Jackson is another matter, because it doesn’t sound as if the Raiders have any intention of making him available to the media before training camp.

Jackson may be muzzled following practice where the media is concerned, but he is the dominant voice during practice, exhorting the offense to play at a faster tempo. He pushes, prods, criticizes and agitates.

“He’s very energetic. He talks a lot of smack,” Campbell said. “That’s his whole goal during practice is to make someone mad on defense. It excites everyone around us. There’s not going to be a quiet practice here, I know. As long as he’s here, it’s going to be rowdy.”

Said quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, sidelined until training camp after pectoral surgery but attending practices and meetings: “I love the way he gets after it. He’s discplined, he’s hard-nosed and he’s going to get after the guys. That’s what we need.”

– Jackson’s changes in the offense appear to have been substantial. Cable said Boller “had some of this offense before,” referring to a year the quarterback spent in Baltimore on injured reserve while Jackson was the quarterbacks coach for the Ravens.

That would indicate the Raiders are adapting to Jackson and some major changes, rather than Jackson putting a spin on what Cable did the last two years.

– Rookie defensive end Lamarr Houston and offensive lineman Bruce Campbell, as well as free agent defensive end Alex Daniels, had school issues and could not attend practice. Houston and Campbell, Cable said, were expected Wednesday night.

– Veterans who didn’t practice were Gradkowski, wide receiver Chaz Schilens and defensive end Matt Shaughnessy, who sustained a hamstring strain during Tuesday’s practice. Schilens is expected to be out until training camp after follow-up surgery on his left foot.

Nick Miller, who spent last season as a spectator on the 53-man roster for 15 games before going on injured reserve with a broken shin bone, was on the field and practicing with the offense Wednesday.

Gradkowski is out of the sling he wore on his left arm following pectoral surgery and said, “I’ll be ready to go full go by camp, no question, maybe before then.”

– One conversion project the Raiders will never attempt _ Chris Johnson to wide receiver. He dropped three potential interceptions Wednesday, drawing derisive chatter from safety Tyvon Branch at one point.

– Offensive linemen did some switching of positions, with Khalif Barnes again getting a lot of time at left guard. Rookie tackle Jared Veldheer even played briefly at center.

“It’s really just moving some pieces around, trying to expose them to as much as we can,” Cable said.

Any chance Seymour will be around for any of the OTAs before training camp?

“I don’t know that at this point,” Cable said.

That’s a little less optimistic than the minicamp declaration that the two sides appeared to be near an agreement on a new contract.

Seymour has not signed the exclusive franchise tender which will pay him just under $12.4 million this season. If a long-term deal is not worked out, Seymour could leave the tender unsigned deep into training camp, as Charles Woodson did, or sign it and be in camp on time as Nnamdi Asomugha did.

– Cable, an avid Boston Celtics and New York Yankees fan, is more than a little pleased at Boston’s 2-0 lead over Orlando in the NBA playoffs.

“It’ll be a Celtics-Yankees-Raiders year,” Cable said. “It’s starting to look like it. You never know . . . ”

Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

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The return game and Nickle corner were surely higher needs than fullback. Especially when you factor in that we will run 2 TEs a lot, as well as Bush and McFadden in the backfield together.

jhill

re-signing Joseph, Cooper & Boschetti for the D-Line.

——————————————————-

Who ????

jhill

drafting McClain in the Top 10 with projected starting DT’s Kelly & Bryant up front.

——————————————————

Will be a SERIOUS upgrade from what we had last year!

M Lonetree

Raider O,

since scantily clad women cause earthquakes, and now a scantily clad Arab woman is Miss America, I suppose that means the entire U.S. of A. is about to be ripped apart by seisisms. In such a case your previous evacuation plans to “go east” are in need of serious reconsideration.

Not going to get as much or more than Peppers. But he should certainly get a nice 3 year deal. Dude is without question our best Dline and worth every penny.

reference Trevor Scott on Dline memories!

http://www.actionext.com/playlist_57486.html La Milicia Negra

# jhill Says:
May 20th, 2010 at 8:30 am

One interesting tidbit was Bush opening up with the first team.

I think it’s pretty clear that McFadden will be used as a “weapon” this year. That will kinda suck for some of the WRs, because DMAC will definitely motion to the slot meaning less reps for some guys at that same spot.
________________________________________________________

yeah, it will be great for us =)

jhill

Have a great day folks time to go play 18!

RaiderRockstar

The return game and Nickle corner were surely higher needs than fullback.

***

really?

Huff can play nickel corner imo. we need to get Mike Mitchell on the field more anyway.

plus free agency was DEEP with vets who could fill this role …

return man? Nick Miller is healthy now. Justin Miller was available (signed with AZ now). we picked up Yamon Figurs. plus there are always undrafted kids who returned kicks & punts in college but didn’t do enough as a RB, WR or CB to merit a draft selection

RaiderRockstar

reference Trevor Scott on Dline memories!

***

Ellis & Scott are/were pass rushers. same with Burgess and Clemons a while back.

base DE’s are ShoNasty, Richardson and now Houston. Cooper, Kelly & Bryant can also fill this role in a pinch

drafting Houston makes Seymour expendable imo. If he’s the player everybody says he was and thinks he will be in the pros

trade Little Richard for Fat Albert today !!!

RaiderRockstar

Will be a SERIOUS upgrade from what we had last year!

***

it’s yet to be seen. the difference between Kelly/Warren/Morrison and Kelly/Bryant/McClain

RaiderRockstar

I won’t be so miffed about passing on Conner & Cody in the draft if we get Hoover & Henderson in free agency …

2 year stopgap, but that’ll give us time to draft eventual replacements NEXT YEAR

The newly crowned Miss USA, Rima Fakih, explained on Fox & Friends Thursday why she was photographed on a stripper pole in 2007.

The photos were released by the Detroit morning radio show “Mojo in the Morning” less than 24 hours after Fakih beat out Miss Oklahoma, who lost the title after answering a question about illegal immigration.

“It wasn’t pole dancing,” Fakih said of the photos. “It was more of a … promotional event.”

“Have you ever done those pole dancing classes?” she asked the show’s hosts. “That’s what it was. My friend who was a DJ at the station said ‘Why don’t you get up there?’”

Fakih, 23, said she complied, “and a few pictures were snapped, and, of course, they don’t look the best angle as I normally [do].”

the_big_one_of_83

361 THAT POST IS VERY TRUE

http://www.actionext.com/playlist_57486.html La Milicia Negra

crappy refs…

http://www.actionext.com/playlist_57486.html La Milicia Negra

phuck it, I think we just lost :/

fat kidd

An irate diner allegedly attacked workers in a Daytona Beach, Fla., Wendy’s with a Taser on Monday morning because she didn’t receive the condiments she wanted.

Police say the fast-food fiasco began around 10 a.m. after Melanese Reid, 20, and Katrina Bryant, 23, complained that they weren’t given packets of mayonnaise and mustard in their drive-through order.

http://www.actionext.com/playlist_57486.html La Milicia Negra

Fatty…

Bwahahaha, funny shyt

RaiderRockstar

better tell Gust/MR to get those orders right next time!

M Lonetree

FatKidd,

are you hinting that when Cable was trying to break that lamp table and Hanson’s jaw got in the way that it was really about a mayonnaise packet?

RaiderRockstar

Hanson’s jaw got in the way that it was really about a mayonnaise packet?

Though the NFL doesn’t specifically test for HGH — a flaw that must be fixed — it is on the banned substances list. Thus, Moss could easily be suspended if commissioner Roger Goodell determines that he violated the league’s drug policy. Moss will undoubtedly have to explain himself to NFL officials at some point soon. Patriots safety Rodney Harrison was suspended for four games in 2007 after he admitted to using HGH.
Source: Washington Post
=========================
WTF!! I’m starting to think half these dudes on the field are off some schit!

M Lonetree

DMAC,

based on performance and his lethargy perhaps JRuss was the only one in the league NOT using. Or if he was using performance enhancers he should really look into getting his money back.

Specifically, physicists discovered a 1 percent difference between pairs of muons and antimuons that arise from the decay of particles known as B mesons.

(see, it isn’t completely about the mayonnaise after all.)

no word as to whether any of the physicists quoted Raider HC Tom Cable by saying “I’m geeked!” after the discovery although one did say he got goose bumps.

RaiderRockstar

new post!

Einstein

Lame new post

edward teach

LMN,

As a matter of record, the teams that Bruyneel directed in his ten Tours de France were tested more frequently than any other teams. I’m not going to look it up for you, but it is true. The urine and blood samples from his teams have also been tested YEARS later by the French, and no rider has ever tested positive under those circumstances, either. The only other teams and/or riders to undergo this type of scrutiny were those caught up in the large, multi-sport and multi-rider doping rings that have been discovered (Operacion Puerto for one, and the current investigation being carried out by Italian authorities. Teams and riders not implicated in these scandals have not endured anywhere close to the scrutiny that Bruyneel’s teams have, and his teams have done nothing except win a lot of bike races. It is now common practice to test retroactively for substances that could not be tested for in previous years, but only because there are now tests for some of those things, and the tests didn’t exist before. This is a relatively recent development and only Bruyneel’s teams were treated this way by the French before it became standard WADA policy. That testing has produced more than a few positives, sanctions and suspensions, and you really expect anyone to believe that the only reason Bruyneel’s teams haven’t tested positive for any banned substances is because they’re CLEVERER that the rest?

As far as your comments about Bruyneel and other riders that doped back in the day, you’re comparing apples to oranges. There were very few banned substances in those days, almost no testing, and a different culture in the peloton. Today, there is widespread rider, team and sponsor opposition to doping and the testing is more sophistacated than ever before. There is even a “biological passport” that riders from the Pro Tour teams are required to submit that is monitored for fluctuations in a rider’s blood values throughout the season. An odd reading can result in a rider’s being suspended and fired from his team, and a positive dope test isn’t even required. One rider being fired can (and has) resulted in sponsors pulling their support, leaving other (innocent) riders and team staff without jobs.

There are more than a few people out there that don’t like the fact that an American is the face of international cycling, and has won the most prestigiuos bike race in the world seven times. If you know how the French view the Belgians, you already know how they feel about Bruyneel. They’ve been trying to nail Bruyneel and Armstrong for ten years now, and have failed, all while catching scores of other riders. If there was something there, they would have found it by now.

Maybe you do need to be taught about cycling.

RaiderFreak

i heard yesterday j russell is working out to get ready to play this year (not going to happen)but is it just me,or is this guy as dumb as a stump,now he want’s to work-out,he had the key’s to an N.F.L team,and he did everything he could to not take blame,for his mistakes,the one position you don’t throw anyone under the bus,one guy said it right he’s the second worst draft pick in raider history.SO THAT GIVES ME AN IDEA!!! WHO WAS THE ALL TIME WORST PICK IN RAIDER HISTORY.I SAY MARC WILSON.WHO IS YOU’RE PICK, THANK’S RAIDER FOR LIFE.

purvisman

How do you get rid of mr,;What, was he lurking so he could post 1st(&2nd)? I almost couldn’t continue and read all your great comments. Or, is he just part of the fun? He does get tiresome. Been reading you all for almost two years and still trying to figure out the weird dynamics in here. Don’t usually post ’cause there’s already hundreds of posts by the time I get here.
by the way, are old white people allowed?